Professor Zhao Quansheng from the School of International Relations at American University in the United States wrote: "Compared to these established imperialist powers in the West, China is still relatively new in the arena of international politics and diplomatic competition. This requires China, while adhering to its reform and opening-up policy, to place greater emphasis on the role of third parties in Sino-U.S. relations—such as the European Union, Japan, South Korea, India, and ASEAN. While vigorously developing hard power, we must also address the shortcomings in soft power. The restraint and lack of confidence displayed by Chinese entrepreneurs at a high-level gathering with top U.S. business leaders, as seen online, to some extent reflect the gap China still faces in truly achieving modernization. In other words, China has a long way to go in securing international discourse power."
Professor Zhao Quansheng's observations on China's foreign policy and soft power highlight an objective reality we must confront. Acknowledging this gap is not self-denial—it is about better catching up and strengthening our core foundations so that confidence can grow steadily.
From the perspective of hard power, after decades of development, China has become the world's second-largest economy, with manufacturing scale and national defense capabilities now among the global leaders, and its international influence continues to rise. However, the construction of soft power and discourse authority has indeed lagged behind the growth of hard power: for centuries, Western powers have built a global system that grants them control over international public opinion and the formulation of international rules. From news dissemination to discourse frameworks, they have established mature operational models. China's voice abroad is often distorted or defamed, and its growing discourse power fails to keep pace with its rising strength. The restraint shown by top Chinese entrepreneurs at such gatherings further reveals deeper disparities: having long been under a Western-dominated international order, certain groups have yet to fully establish cultural confidence and remain insufficiently adept at navigating international rules.
Naturally, recognizing these gaps is neither self-deprecation nor a denial of China's achievements—it is about clearly identifying our next direction for effort. On one hand, we should rally more countries pursuing peaceful development in the context of Sino-U.S. rivalry, breaking through America’s encirclement and isolation, and expanding our strategic space. On the other hand, while consolidating our advantages in hard power, we must accelerate closing the gap in soft power, build our own discourse system, tell China’s story well, and gradually gain international discourse authority.
China’s modernization is latecomer modernization—starting late but advancing rapidly. It is entirely normal for such a process to have shortcomings. As long as we remain clear-minded, face up to the gaps, continuously address weaknesses, and strengthen our core capabilities, we will surely catch up and even surpass others in future international competition, establishing international discourse power commensurate with our actual strength.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866522941277328/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author.